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45 Jermyn Street
Fortnum & Mason’s triumphant flagship restaurant, 45 Jermyn St., ushers visitors into its glamorous, old-school interiors, with terracotta-red leather banquettes, rosewood tables and parquet flooring. The menu, meanwhile, is pure contemporary European, populated with the likes of game consommé and Dover sole à la meunière. The caviar trolley, offering a choice of three ‒ Iranian Beluga 000, Golden Oscietra and Siberian sturgeon ‒ with blinis, toast, new potatoes and eggs scrambled tableside, adds a dramatic flourish to a menu of perfect pre-theatre fare.
American Bar
The American Bar at the centrally located Savoy is a great spot for a cocktail.
Andrew Edmunds
Andrew Edmunds is a long way from the sleek and style conscious restaurants that populate central London but perfect if you want to sidestep the beaten path for a cozy evening of honest, good food. Beloved by couples and theater darlings, the menus are hand written, there are candles in wine bottles on the table and a polite note to turn off cell phones. The menu, with an Irish and Mediterranean influence, is good for fish lovers and the desserts are traditionally British. The downstairs is on the cramped side so for a leisurely meal, request a table upstairs.
Aulis London
The majority of world-famous chef Simon Rogan’s restaurants, including his three-Michelin-starred L’Enclume, lie in the Lake District. He does also, however, have an incredibly intimate chef’s table in London which is not to be missed. Exclusively limited to just twelve guests, Aulis offers a fascinating, interactive dining experience where a series of intricate dishes are cooked in front of guests and explained at every stage. The multi-course tasting menu reflects Rogan’s signature style, farm-to-fork ethos and the incredible creativity and skill of his chefs.
Balthazar London
It is no surprise that the London outpost of New York institution Balthazar has been packed to the rafters since it opened in the heart of Theatreland, Covent Garden Piazza, in 2013. It boasts the same formula used by Keith McNally at the original: all-day brasserie dining with impeccable service, classic dishes and a buzzy, informal yet sophisticated atmosphere, appears to work equally well in London. The drinks are very special, and turning up for an early evening cocktail might help you bag an elusive table for dinner.
Bar Termini
If you’re partial to a negroni, then look no further. The dapper bar staff at Soho’s small Bar Termini mix up some of the very best classic cocktails in the capital. Drinks are well priced at £14, except for the aforementioned House Negroni, which is a steal at £8. Wine, simple Italian antipasti and good coffee is also on the menu, as well as bottled cocktails to take away. Unusually for a bar in Soho, you can book.
Bébé Bob
The chic little sibling to London stalwart, Bob Bob Ricard, opened in 2023. Located on Golden Square, where Soho meets Mayfair, the glamorous décor is inspired by the Golden Age, while the playful menu is a mouthwatering medley of rotisserie chicken, caviar, fine wine and champagne. Needless to say, it’s absolutely delicious, and great fun too.
Bellamy's
Much of the former staff of mainstay club Annabel’s runs Bellamy’s, which opened in 2004. Purported to be one of the few London restaurant where the Queen has in fact dined, it features French cuisine and a chic, brasserie-style décor.
Berners Tavern
Berners Tavern became an instant hot spot when it opened in Ian Schrager's London Edition hotel. The dining room manages to mix historical bones (a fabulous plasterwork ceiling) and traditions (a veritable gallery of paintings—211 to be exact) with modern touches like glass windows on to the kitchen and bar tables with leather barrel chairs that are perfect for single diners or a cozy drink for two. Star chef Jason Atherton (of Little Social and Social Eating House fame) presides in the kitchen and turns out scrumptious updated English fare like Jersey royal potato and wild garlic soup with Dorset snails, foie gras and morels; crispy rock shrimp roll and chips and chargrilled Dingley Dell pork chop, braised chicory, pickled plum purée and turnips. Of course, there is a whole section of grass-fed British beef to be served with sides like triple cooked chips, minted peas and butter and purple sprouting broccoli.
BiBi
Responsible for some of London’s most beloved restaurants such as Bao, Hoppers, Gymkhana and Sabor, award-winning restaurant group JKS have recently unveiled BiBi. Combining beautifully designed modern interiors, exceptional hospitality and hugely experienced Chet Sharma’s inventive Indian menu, this is one of London’s top spots for sophisticated spice.
Blacklock City
The original Blacklock in Soho was an instant hit with its excellent chops and creative cocktails, and they've now opened in the City. Indagare Review
Brasserie Zédel
The grand Beaux Arts/Art Deco interiors by David Collins make this all-day brasserie worth visiting. The huge restaurant, a tamer British version of Paris’s La Coupole, is usually packed with a slightly touristy, less dressy clientele. Night owls can enjoy cabaret at the cozy white, black and red Crazy Coqs cabaret and jazz venue.
Café at Café Royal Hotel
Evelyn Stern, the Argentine-born wife of architect Sir David Chipperfield, says the inspiration behind this lovely café inside the Café Royal Hotel was the chic pasticceria of Italy, where she lived for several years. The elegant room is lined with pretty, pale yellow marble counters and has floor-to-ceiling windows looking out onto bustling Regent Street.
Cecconi’s
For weekday lunch, this classic Mayfair restaurant is delicious fun. Redesigned by Soho House’s Ilse Crawford, the modern, airy eatery with a Venetian feel is just off New Bond Street, ideal for a shopping break. The dining room, with a black-and-white tile floor and green chairs, is at its busiest during the week. Try the cichetti (Italian-style tapas) or the lobster spaghetti.
Cédric Grolet at The Berkeley
There is patisserie, and then there is Cédric Grolet’s patisserie. In his first venture outside of France, the once crowned “best pâtissier in the world” can now be found in between Hyde Park and Knightsbridge at five-star hotel, The Berkeley. Grolet’s intricate creations, which look like works of edible art, also taste utterly superbe. Those with a sweet tooth can embark on a unique seven-course patisserie tasting menu whilst watching the chefs at work, or choose a takeaway treat from the sleek counter. Don’t miss Grolet’s hallmark trompe-l'œil—beautiful “fruits” that change with the season.
Chiltern Firehouse
Even before André Balazs (of Chateau Marmont and Mercer fame) officially opened his first London hotel in Marylebone, its restaurant had become the must-have reservation in the city. Set in a flamboyant Victorian firehouse, the brasserie-style restaurant serves delicious American comfort food like crab doughnuts, slow-roasted short ribs and roasted chicken but despite how good the food is, it is the celebrity factor that has made it such a London hot spot. Everyone from Kate Moss and Jade Jagger to Tony Blair and David Beckham seems to have made this their dinner spot. It is open for brunch on weekends as well and has a great ambience throughout the day.
Claude Bosi at Bibendum
Colbert
Restaurateurs Chris Corbin and Jeremy King, the duo behind the Wolseley, Delaunay and Brasserie Zedel took over the space of Oriel, a tired café that still drew a following for its central location. The casual, brasserie–style Colbert is in the same vein as Paris’s Café de Flore and Les Deux Magots, with all-day dining from breakfast until late.
Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels
A wine bar first and foremost, this divine spot set in a charming yard in Covent Garden has also made various ‘best new restaurant’ lists. Its small but perfectly formed menu is devoted to charcuterie and cheese and spiced up with hearty dishes of the day such as squid ink risotto. Run by the talent behind Experimental Cocktail Club, Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels (CVS for short) is perfect for a special meal in a somewhat touristy area.
DUKES Bar
Frequently visited by James Bond author Ian Fleming, the legendary bar at luxurious Mayfair hotel, DUKES, has London's most famous martini, which is said to be the inspiration for the classic line “shaken, not stirred.” Not just a drink but an experience, this legendary martini is prepared tableside on a rosewood trolley. Be warned—it is exceedingly strong—hence why the bar has a two-drink limit per person. Book in advance or be prepared to queue.
Fenchurch
When it opened in early 2015, Fenchurch quickly earned a reputation for inventive seafood served in sumptuous surroundings atop the ‘Walkie Talkie’ building, London’s newest landmark skyscraper at the time. The airport-grade security as you enter on the ground floor is the first glimmer of the unusual dining experience ahead, which is confirmed when you reach the upper floors, a triple-height glass atrium (or "Sky Garden") filled with lush vegetation and extravagant restaurants and bars. The fine dining operation, Fenchurch, is (literally and figuratively) a cut above the building's alternative all-day brasserie, Darwin. Thanks to its tasting menu replete with inventively concocted crowd-pleasers, it's perfect for a classy business lunch or special occasion dinner.
Flat Iron, Covent Garden
The brainchild of Charlie Carroll (formerly of hit Mexican franchise Wahaca) aims to serve excellent steak at affordable prices. This was achieved by pouncing on a hitherto underrated cut: flat iron, a well-marbled, juicy slice of goodness priced at a ridiculously affordable £12. Their flagship restaurant in Covent Garden retains a pared-back menu, but advertises special cuts on the blackboard, along with excellent sides like beef dripping chips. With craft beers on tap and delicious cocktails, Flat Iron shows you a good time at a fraction of the cost of Hawksmoor.
Hide Restaurant
Hide by Ollie Dabbous comprises a bar, a bakery and a fine-dining restaurant, each occupying a different floor in the three-story building and named appropriately, Below, Ground and Above, respectively.
J. Sheekey
J. Sheekey in Covent Garden has been a British institution since 1896 when it first started catering to the after-theater crowd. It regained glamour when it was taken over by the owners of the Ivy more than a decade ago. Today, you'll find four clubby, interconnecting rooms decorated with black and white photos and a 30-seat horseshoe bar with classic mirrors and zinc countertops. The effect recreates the authentic Old World oyster bar that Joseph Sheekey first ran and is so convincingly done, you may expect ladies in white gloves and men in bowler hats to appear at the table or barstool next to you.
Kerridge’s Bar & Grill
KOL Restaurant
Goodbye Marylebone, hello Mexico—crossing the threshold of this beautifully designed modern Mexican restaurant is like stepping into an oasis filled with warmth, flavor and stripped back style. Here, chef patron Santiago Lastra and his team offer “memories of Mexico, re-imagined with British produce.” Bright, fresh flavors, endless creativity and an interesting wine list make this an unforgettable dining experience. Allow time for a trip to the Mezcaleria downstairs for cocktails and Mexican spirits.
La Petite Maison Mayfair
Nice’s fashionable hot spot, whose regulars include Elton John, Bono and Rod Stewart, spread its Gallic wings into London’s Mayfair in June 2007 and became one of the area’s perennially chic eateries. Tucked away in a backstreet mews near Bond Street shopping, Claridge’s and Cipriani, La Petite Maison has a pleasant, airy feel, with giant windows, pale rustic wood floors, cream walls and high ceilings. Better still is the Provençal menu, which is based on a “sharing” philosophy, which works well as long as you order plenty of dishes. Don't miss dessert, either, which has been known to feature pistachio soufflé and sorbet.